Flexible coupling.



D. E. MAXFIELD.

FLEXIBLE UUUPLING.

urmowmn FILED JUNE 25, 1906.

Patented Apr. 5, 1910.

connected b a fi xible band or connector in- 'ing the nccessar flexibilitp to the coupling projecting toward the other disk, the pins 5 UNITED STATES rafrnn'r OFFICE.

DANIEL E. mFIEL-D, OF DORCHESTEB, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO B. F. STURTE- VANT COMPANY, 012 BOSTON. MASSAOHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHTL SETTS.

FLEXIBLE COUPLING.

srwiflwion of IwflerSPatent vPatented Apr. 5. 1910. Application filed June 25, 1906. Serial No. 32323.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I; Dannie l). Marriott), a. citizen of the United States. residing at Dorchester, in the county of Suffolk and State of Nlassaehuwtts, have invented cer- 4 tain new and. useful Improvements in Flexihle Couplings; and do hereby declare the 5 following to he a full, clear, and exact de seription ot' the invention, such as will cnable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in flexible couplings.

In connecting dynamos and electric inotors with steam engines or other machinery it is customary to use flexible couplings. to compensate "for f aulty alinement in the shatts of the machines, due to defective workmanship, or to wear upon the journals, and such couplings are also frequently utilized as insulatin devices to prevent the es cape of electricity from the dynamo or motor;

The present invention relates particularly to conplingsior such purposes of the fa iniliar type in which two disks. secured to the adjacent ends of the-shafts to be coupled, and carrying two annular series of pins. are

in the disk 1 being located within the ins [i on the disk 2. These pins are provided with shoulders and with screw-threaded shanks engaged h nuts T as shown in Fig. 1, by which they are securely lixcd in the disks.

The novelty of the present. invention resides particularly in the llexihlc connector by which the coupling members are connected. This consists of a jointednietallic welt or chain 8, consisting of fiat links pivoted together at their ends u Jon rivets 9 a construction which permits the connector to bend readil about the pins and 6 and also to yield freely to any lateral displacement due to an angular disposition of the two shafts. The connector 8 is free from any projecting coupling or device of an character which would prevent its free longitudinal movement about the pins, so that it may yield freely to equalize the tension throughout its length, as is necessary where the ends of the shafts are laterally displaced. This action is further facilitated by the concave form of the edges of the link plates, which enables them to bear evenly upon the r-nn'larcs of the pins. which have the same radius of curvature as the surfacesol' the links, as shown in Fig. Owing to this arrangement the wear upon the parts due the constant movement of the connector i pen the pins is minimized.

In order to insulate the parts of the coupling from each other the pins 5 and 6 ar set in insulated bushings in and provided with insulating washers ll under the nuts and with insulating washers [2 under the shouhlers of the pins. the latter washers extending also sutllcieutly over the inner surfaces of toe coupling members to prevent the connector 8 from coming in contact with these members.

The coupling member 1 carries a cylindrical guard 13 reuiorahly fixed thereto which extends over the space between the coupling members. "Ihis guard serves to exclude dust or other foreign substance from the coupling and also prevents the escape .The illustrated embodiment of the invqnby centrifugal action, of lubricant applied tion comprises two disk-shaped c011 ling t0 the connector F4 to facilitate its fiolnpeli members 1 and 2 keyed to the ends 0? the eating movements. shafts 3 and; which are to be coupled. By the substitution of a flexible endless Each disk carries an annular series of pins metal connector for the connectors of rope orl'eather beltings which have been previtenvoven about the ins, such band affordand being also u tilized as he insulating me dium.

The object of the invention is to effect certain improvementsin couplin'gs'of this character, particularly in respect to the form of flexible connecto sod ahd the manner in which the parts 0 t e con ling are insulated from one another, ,an the invention consists in the improved flexible coupling hereinafter described and shown .in the drawings, as defined in the claims.

In the drawin s Figure l is a horizontal section of a fiexi 1e coupling embodying the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section thereof on the line w-w, with the connector shown in full.

ously used in devices of this character the coupling is rendered more compact and solid, since a connector of great strength may be contained in a much narrower space than a hemp or leather connector of equal strength, and for the same reason the pins can be made much shorter and less liable to breakage. The operation of the coupling is facilitated also, owing to the fact that the connector may be lubricated and may therefore move constantly in compensating for faulty alinement in the shafts without substantlal resistance or wear on the parts. Where the conn ctor is' made of rope or belting, couplings or splices of some sort in the connector are necessary, and these interfere with the movement of the connector over the pins, whereas in the present inven tion there is nothing to interfere with the movement of the connector.

The insulation of the pins and the connector from the coupling members in the manner above described is of particular utility in connection with a flexible metallic connector, and is novel so far as the applicant is informed.

The invention is not limited to the details of construction of the illustrated embodiscries of pins in the other ment, but may be embodied in other forms within the sec e of the following claims 1. A flexib ecoupling havin in combinatiomtwo members mqdto t e shafts to be coupled, a series 0 ins mounted on but insulated from one 0 said members, a member, and an connector interof pins and freely about the pins, subendless jointed metallic woven with the two series movable longitudinally stnntially as described.

2. A flexible coupling havin in combination, two members fixed to t e shafts to be coupled, a series of pins in each of said members, an endless jointed metallic ,connector interwoven about the pins of the two series and freely movable about the pins, i

and insulating washers at the bases 0 the pins to prevent contact between the connector and said members, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL E/MAXFIELD.

Witnesses Homes VAN Evmmn, Faun. O. FISH.

signature, 

